Home News After 'Failing to Meet Expectations' at Launch, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth Shoots to No.3 in U.S. Charts With Steam Debut

After 'Failing to Meet Expectations' at Launch, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth Shoots to No.3 in U.S. Charts With Steam Debut

Author : Leo Update : Mar 04,2025

January 2025's video game sales reveal a relatively quiet month, mirroring typical January trends. Call of Duty's dominance continues, with only one new release cracking the top 20. However, a significant comeback story emerged: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

Initially released in February 2024, Rebirth debuted at No. 2 on Circana's U.S. dollar sales charts but later settled at No. 17 by year's end. While respectable, Square Enix publicly acknowledged that sales fell short of expectations, fueling speculation about its performance. The game's initial PS5 exclusivity was a likely contributing factor to lower sales compared to cross-platform titles.

The January 2025 release of Rebirth on Steam dramatically altered its trajectory. It surged to No. 3 on the Circana charts, up from No. 56 in December. The Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also experienced a significant boost, rising from No. 265 to No. 16. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted Rebirth's "fantastic" Steam launch, noting it was the best-selling game for the week ending January 25th in the U.S.

This U.S. success strongly suggests similar international performance, potentially prompting Square Enix to reconsider its future release strategies. Piscatella commented on the impact of the Steam release, stating that while the effect on publisher perception is difficult to definitively assess, the consumer response was exceptionally positive. He further emphasized the increasing difficulty for third-party publishers to maintain single-platform exclusivity without substantial platform-holder incentives.

The remainder of the January 2025 top 20 sales chart shows Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 maintaining their leading positions. Donkey Kong Country: Returns (Switch) was the only new entry, reaching No. 8 based solely on physical sales. It Takes Two's return to the top 20 (No. 20) is attributed to ongoing promotions and consistent sales throughout the month, possibly linked to the upcoming release of Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction.

Overall, January 2025's gaming spending was down 15% year-over-year ($4.5 billion), largely due to a shorter tracking period (four weeks versus five in 2024). Accessories, content, and hardware spending also experienced significant declines. While PS5 remained the best-selling hardware in both units and dollar sales, Xbox Series and Switch saw substantial drops.

Top 20 Best-Selling Games (U.S., January 2025):